A snarky romp—just don’t think too hard about the holey plot.
A scrappy teenager dedicates her summer to finding an elusive sasquatch.
The tiny town of Southborough, California, became a hot spot for paranormal-seeking tourists after Gregory Samuel O’Connor’s American Idol audition tape was video-bombed by a sasquatch. Eighteen years later, the tourism boom has nose-dived due to dwindling sightings of the sasquatch and internet-driven skepticism. Seventeen-year-old Louie O’Connor, daughter of the man who spotted the local cryptid, worries her dads will lose their restaurant. Like other Southborough businesses, Squatch Burger is threatened by a rich tech entrepreneur who wants to buy up the town for selfish purposes. Louie and her best friend, Felix, decide to turn things around by catching the sasquatch and returning Southborough to the map. But when a paranormal investigator famous for debunking cryptid stories shows up, everything changes. Can Louie find her passion and save the day? Reminiscent of a campy ’80s film, the eye-catching, full-color artwork highlights kooky schemes and extremely expressive characters. While the visual design is stunning, weak character development muddles a thematically overburdened story. The impetus for many plot points and humorous gags turns out to be Louie’s air of entitlement and general brattiness. An unbelievable change of heart leads to a tidy conclusion. Louie and her dads read as White; Felix is cued as Latinx, and residents of the town are ethnically diverse.
A snarky romp—just don’t think too hard about the holey plot. (Graphic fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: March 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-62010-849-9
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Oni Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
Flipping awesome.
After a wish goes wrong, a girl and her crush must figure out how to break a body-switching curse.
Chi-Chi Ekeh feels invisible. Like her previous crushes, hot varsity swimmer Flip Henderson—yet another rich white boy at her Texas boarding school—seems unaware of her existence. With only weeks until graduation, Nigerian American Chi-Chi’s friends Esther and Yesenia dare her to ask Flip to Senior Festival. But Flip accidentally shows her promposal video to the whole class—and immediately turns her down. Embarrassed, Chi-Chi flees, but her innocent remark—“I just wish Flip Henderson liked me”—has unexpected consequences. After falling and hitting her head, Chi-Chi wakes up in Flip’s body, and he in hers. Freaked out beyond belief and regularly switching bodies, Chi-Chi and Flip work with Esther and Yesenia to break the curse. Meanwhile, forced to see herself through someone else’s eyes, Chi-Chi must confront uncomfortable feelings. There’s much to love about this book. The fully realized and sympathetic characters, sincere and humorous development of friendships, and protagonist’s relatable and bittersweet emotional journey will keep readers engaged, eager to reach the resolution. Ukazu carefully balances tough topics like self-hatred, depression, and suicidal ideation with funny feel-good moments, deftly rendered in her characteristically expressive style. The dynamic and engaging illustrations bring to life a heartwarming story of self-love, acceptance, and true connection.
Flipping awesome. (author’s note) (Graphic fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9781250179517
Page Count: 320
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
Hinds adds another magnificent adaptation to his oeuvre (King Lear, 2009, etc.) with this stunning graphic retelling of Homer’s epic. Following Odysseus’s journey to return home to his beloved wife, Penelope, readers are transported into a world that easily combines the realistic and the fantastic. Gods mingle with the mortals, and not heeding their warnings could lead to quick danger; being mere men, Odysseus and his crew often make hasty errors in judgment and must face challenging consequences. Lush watercolors move with fluid lines throughout this reimagining. The artist’s use of color is especially striking: His battle scenes are ample, bloodily scarlet affairs, and Polyphemus’s cave is a stifling orange; he depicts the underworld as a colorless, mirthless void, domestic spaces in warm tans, the all-encircling sea in a light Mediterranean blue and some of the far-away islands in almost tangibly growing greens. Don’t confuse this hefty, respectful adaptation with some of the other recent ones; this one holds nothing back and is proudly, grittily realistic rather than cheerfully cartoonish. Big, bold, beautiful. (notes) (Graphic classic. YA)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4266-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
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